Nissa harris

It was already night when nissa left the rose garden. She could not help but wonder where Aiden was at that exact moment. "I truly hope that he is still alright," she said as she walked through the hallway towards Cormag's study. As she opened the big oak doors, she heard soft snoring which indicated that he was sleeping. As she started to wake him to take him to their room, she realized that he was sleeping in his study more often than not lately. His head was tilted back, he seemed almost dead.

"My Lord," she said softly, trying not to frighten him. She picked up the book that was laid in front of him and held it up to the light.

She smiled and thought to herself, "Where has the man from those pages gone off to?"

Cormag had lost all hope to fight, believing that the peace he had achieved successfully would last forever. But Nissa grew more worried every day.

"We need men and the men we have need to train more," she often told him.

But Cormag never listened to anyone since the war of the South. It was only seven years ago, yet Cormag had already aged a hundred years, it seemed.

Cormag's eyes shot open as she called out "My Lord," in a loud voice, growing frustrated by him not waking.

"Ah, my love," Cormag said, his eyes tired.

"You reek of mead, my love," Nissa said, looking almost disgusted.

"My brother is home after a long time, am I not allowed to partake in a cup or two?" He asked, his breath almost sour from the smell of alcohol.

"Your brother has left this study hours ago," she said, grabbing him by his collar and pulling him to his feet.

"Come my love, of to bed with you," she said as she helped him to their bed.

Nissa put Cormag to bed and waited for him to fall asleep. She walked down the spiral staircase back to the garden. She sat under the moon light with a light wind blowing over her face and through her hair.

She started thinking to herself again. Cormag is not himself, something bothers him but he will never speak. Everything changed seven years ago after the war.

She heard footsteps behind her. She turned around but saw nothing. Crack, crack, crack. She could hear them behind her but she could see nothing. The castle walls were well enough lit and the light was plenty. But it was as if a ghost stalked her. It grew quiet for a moment. She looked forward again. Crack, crack, crack. Faster this time, until it approached her. As she was about to turn around she could feel a hand on her shoulder.

"Boo!" She heard a deep voice yell. Greeley laughed as Nissa fell backward off of her log she had been seated on.

Sitting in the dirt, she seemed delighted by this man in front of her.

"You big oaf, you're back! It is true!" she exclaimed while standing up and padding the dust away. She and Greeley had always been close since their days of young when Cormag had just met her.

A young maiden singing in a the busiest tavern in the East. Bright green eyes and a white dress of satin. She was a short woman, with hair so blonde it seemed almost white. But that was her youth, and she was fifty-five years old now. Her blonde hair had turned to grey, with a few streaks of the blonde colour in between but not much. Her singing voice destroyed from years of yelling over the war.

"I am back, sweet Nissa," he said with a loving smile. "I see my brother grows even weaker as time goes on," he continued, a look of sadness in his eyes.

"Weak in spirit is all that your brother is, Greely" she said in a proud tone.

"He is still the man who took back your grandfather's land from Lord Bright," she said with loud roar.

"The land your father lost," she said looking at Greely with her famous rage filled eyes.

"Yes, the land that my father lost by making the same mistakes that my brother is making niw," Greely said, all traces of loving looks lost.

He could see that he had upset Lady Nissa.

"My father was closer to the goal they share, but he still failed. True peace does not exist in this world of ours, Nissa. You know it is true," Greely said, standing up and grabbing at his pouch on his leg for his pipe.

He filled his pipe with tabacco from the Northern Islands, rare and expensive. He definitely never settled for less when it came to drinking and smoking, Nissa thought.

"My father saw peace after ten years," he said shaking his head. "It was not there. And now my brother sees the same false peace after only seven years," he said looking at her. "Both of them fools," he added.

"But enough of this. I have matters to attend at the guild. I have just brought the guards back," he said while turning to walk away.

"Cormag will see what state Hartsend is in and he will fix it. I promise it, Greeley," Nissa shouted at him.

"It would seem that is our only hope, my sweet Lady Nissa," he shouted as he went.

Nissa went to bed a few hours after Cormag. She laid in bed that night, thinking.

"Was peace, true peace, a real thing or just another story of myth such as goblins and ogres and forest people?" she thought to herself.

"No, I will make it true," she thought once more .

"My Lord Cormag and I," she said while stroking Cormag's back while he sleeps.